Benjamin Walker (author)
Benjamin Walker | |
---|---|
Born | 25 November 1913 short stories and satire under the name Jivan Bhakar |
Notable works | Hindu World |
Benjamin Walker (25 November 1913 – 30 July 2013)
He was born in
Early influences
Simeon Walker (1873–1928) carried out a great deal of humanitarian work, in India, establishing a centre of studies called
Emily Walker, née Fordyce, (1888–1975) obtained a medical degree in England so that she might provide medical treatment for Indian women, since at the time they were very reluctant to be seen by male physicians. Simeon Walker accompanied his wife to England where she obtained an MB (Bachelor in Medicine) and several diplomas in female ailments and midwifery. During her stay in London she joined the Suffragette movement and met Emmeline Pankhurst. They married in 1906, and when Simeon and Emily Walker returned to India in 1910 they decided to settle in Calcutta, at that time the capital of India. They opened a dispensary where for one day a week the poor were treated and given medication free. In total they had four children: Reema Rose (1906–1912), Alexander (1909–1991), William (1911), and George Benjamin (1913-2013).
Education
George, the third son of the Walkers, was born in Calcutta on 25 November 1913. He matriculated from the
From school he went to the
Religion
George's mother, a staunch Christian, had agreed to marry his father only on condition that the children were brought up as Christians. Simeon, himself a
Career
In 1937 Walker joined the British
In 1943 he was sent to the
With the end of the war in 1945, Walker's services were transferred to the new Republic of India. He served, first in the
From 1955 he was on the staff of the Indian Military Mission, in Berlin, in the British zone of the occupying Allied Forces. While in Berlin he was requested by Kathleen Bauer, of the British Council office there, to give classes in England to German adults keen to learn the language.
In April 1968 Walker took early retirement in Middlesex, England, to devote himself to writing under the name of Benjamin Walker. To disguise his identity Walker also often wrote under the name of Jivan Bhakar, an Indian-sounding variant of 'G. Ben Walker.'
Works
Drama
Walker had written a three-act play called The Love Drug, which was produced at the St John's Club, Calcutta, November 1930, in which he himself also took part. The modest proceeds went to charity, receiving good reviews from local newspapers, but he felt he was not really cut out to be either a dramatist or an actor.
Short stories
One of Walker's stories, "Shanti", written under the pen name Jivan Bhakar, appeared in the Illustrated Weekly of Bombay in December 1950 and earned him a prize. Another story called "Kismet" was published in The Short Story Magazine, Calcutta.
Poetry
Walker wrote his first poem at the age of 10, describing the Great Fire of London of 1666, which appeared in his school magazine. He continued to write poetry into adulthood expressing his sentiment about the world and people. One such, called "We are", appeared in Life and Letters Today, London, August 1939. Another called "It still remains" appeared in Phylon, Atlanta University, March 1952.
Over the years his poems have been published in journals in India, England, and America. A collection of his verse was published in Calcutta, 1956, under the title of Mixed Blood (Lena Press Calcutta, 1956). For a brief period he enjoyed a modest reputation as a minor Indian poet.
Articles
Features by Walker on Eastern affairs and various miscellanea have appeared in journals, newspapers, and books. Under the pen name of Jivan Bhakar he was a regular contributor, for three years between 1948 and 1950, to
- "In praise of Wordsworth", Statesman, Calcutta, 1935.
- "The decline of freedom", Contemporary Affairs, Calcutta, 1936.
- "Unemployment in Calcutta", Anglo-Indian Review, Calcutta, 1937.
- "Lamet Hill peasants in Indochina", Pacific Affairs, Richmond, Virginia, 1952.
- "Rock 'n' roll in the army", Berlin Bulletin, Berlin, 1952.
- "Esoteric sexuality", Critique, Santa Rosa, California, 1989.
- "The Kelts", Keltic Fringe, Uniondale, Pennsylvania, 1992.
Lectureship
As Walker had carried out a course in psychology, whilst at college, he was invited soon after to give a talk on the subject to the Blue Triangle YWCA Club in Calcutta. He agreed and on 1 October 1934 found himself facing a large group of ladies who, it appeared to him, were looking at him with curiosity and hauteur. With much trepidation he began speaking and soon found that he had the rapt attention of the audience. The success led to a repeat performance, of a subject of his own choice. He spoke on
From then on he continued to deliver talks, and during his official service he continued 'unofficially' giving lectures wherever he was posted, on topics that ranged over religion, philosophy, psychology, mysticism, history, and English literature, always avoiding politics of which he had never been particularly enamoured.
Editorship
In 1950 while in Saigon (now
From the start Asia became a significant success, attempting to cover the whole of the continent, with contributions from renowned authorities on their respective specializations. Its readership soon overtook that of its French counterpart.
In 1951 Walker took a short break to visit
Asia did not long survive Walker's transfer to another post two years later. To induce him to stay on, de Berval offered him a salary, with emoluments and honoraria four times more than his then salary with the Government of India. But Walker turned down the offer as he felt he could not remain anchored in Saigon. In addition, it was clear to many observers at the time that the political situation in Vietnam was deteriorating beyond the control of the French colonial administration. The offer to carry on with Asia was renewed, and again declined, when de Berval subsequently moved, along with France Asie and Asia, to Tokyo.
Hindu World
Hindu World is regarded as Walker's magnum opus. It was the first encyclopedia to cover
Bibliography: Published books by Benjamin Walker
- Persian Pageant: A Cultural History of Iran, Arya Press, Calcutta, 1950.
- Angkor Empire: A History of the Khmer of Cambodia, Signet Press, Calcutta, 1995.
- Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism, (Two Volumes), ISBN 81-291-0670-1.
- Sex and the Supernatural: Sexuality in Religion and Magic, MacDonald, London, 1970; ISBN 0-06-087043-5; Fitzhenry, Toronto, 1973.
- Beyond the Body: The Human Double, ISBN 0-14-019169-0.
- Encyclopedia of Esoteric Man: The Hidden Side of the Human Entity, ISBN 0-7100-8479-X. (Published under the title Body Magic: An Encyclopedia of Esoteric Man in 1979.)
- Man and the Beasts Within: The Encyclopedia of the Occult, the Esoteric, and the Supernatural, Stein & Day, New York, 1978, ISBN 0-8128-1900-4.
- Encyclopedia of Metaphysical Medicine, ISBN 0-7100-8781-0.
- Encyclopedia of the Occult, the Esoteric and the Supernatural, Stein & Day, New York, 1980, ISBN 0-8128-6051-9.
- Masks of the Soul: The Facts Behind Reincarnation, Aquarian Press, London, 1981, ISBN 0-85030-258-7.
- Tantrism: Its Secret Principles and Practices, Aquarian Press, London, 1982; Borgo Press, 1983, ISBN 0-85030-272-2.
- Gnosticism: Its History and Influence, Crucible, London, 1989; ISBN 1-85274-057-4.
- Foundations of Islam: The Making of a World Faith, Peter Owen Publishers, London and New York, 1978, ISBN 0-7206-1038-9; HarperCollins, New Delhi, 1999.
- Caesar's Church: The Irrational in Science & Philosophy, Book Guild, Lewes, Sussex, 2001, ISBN 1-85776-625-3.
Bibliography: Contributions to part works by Benjamin Walker
- Man, Myth and Magic, Purnell, London, January 1970 – January 1971. Walker contributed the chapters on: Body, Eye, Kali, Karma, Kundalini, Madness, Mandala, Mantra, Meditation, Moon, Nirvana, Phallic Symbolism, Ramakrishna, Reincarnation, Self Denial, Tantrism, Taoism, Yoga.
- Encyclopedia of the Unexplained, Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1974. Walker contributed the entries entitled: Astral Body, Dreams, Karma, Mandala, Mantras, Mystery Religions, Physical Powers, Tantrism, Yoga.
- Fate and Fortune, Michael Cavendish, London, 1974–1975. Walker contributed the chapters on: Karma, Kabala, Out-of-Body Experiences, Reincarnation, Tantrism.
- Academic American Encyclopedia, Arete Publishing Co., Princeton, New Jersey, 1980. Walker contributor the entries entitled: Divination, Fortune Telling, Ghosts, Omens, Satanism, Voodoo, Witchcraft.
See also
Notes
- ^ "George Benjamin Walker".
- ^ Source: CBBC
References
- Who's Who in Europe, 1983, International Publication Service; 5th edition (April 1983), ISBN 2-87061-004-1
- The Writers Directory, St. James Press; 2006 edition (1 July 2005), ISBN 1-55862-551-8
- An Anthology on aspects of Indian culture, Dr. V. Raghavan, Dr. V. Raghavan centre for performing arts; 2002 edition.